Café la Cigale

The younger sibling of the mythical concert hall, Le Café de la Cigale is a haunt of arty types on the Boulevard Pigalle, an area little used to seeing trendy bars open up between the sex shops. Philippe Starck and Thierry Costes came together to open this chic, modern and surprising rock’n’roll bar and restaurant – in an industrial space of inner city concrete, Starck has placed small tables under a vast glass ceiling. On the grey walls, the music programme is scrawled in chalk, and artists have also been invited to personalise parts of the place (even the backs of the chairs, decorated with colourful faces by the American Phil Frost). A long wood and glass bar leads to a small stage that plays host underground groups and live surprise acts, also shown on a giant plasma screen. The graphic artist and DJ Uncle O (known for his Shaolin Soul mixes and nights at Toxic) has brought his distinctive touch to the logo and musical selection, which selects from the best of garage, alternative, punk and lo-fi.

The Costes imprint is found in the menu and in the old school service. The Michelin-starred chef Jean-François Piège has ‘cast an eye’ over the menu, which includes various American dishes along with classic brasserie recipes. Fruit cocktails like ‘l’amour’ (vodka, elderberry, apple juice and red fruits) are served in individual shakers so that you can savour every last drop. The external terrace is a good spot to enjoy the sun on the boulevard but gets very crowded even in winter thanks to the heating.